SA Theatre: Redefining Normality

The product of well-known theatre collaborators/festival favourites Hennie van Greunen and Pedro Kruger, Normality is the English translation of popular Afrikaans play Lyf, a production which has taken audiences by storm since its inception in 2000.

The play follows the love trail of Alex, who suffers from Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and details ‘the perils of shopping, the healing power of a chocolate milkshake and the fact that, when it comes to love, ‘normal’ is just a setting on the drier’.Lindy Timm chats to Hennie about the Edinburgh production of the play, in which the show makes its UK debut.

There was a 13 year period between the time that the idea of the play came to you and the moment you sat down to write it. Why such a long period of time? The play has various references or points of input. While I was growing up, my sister suffered from the disease that the main character in the play suffers of, and I had various things to say about this and about the reaction of ‘normal’ people to her. We often joked about it because to us she was my sister, not my disabled sister, so we treated her like one of the gang. So the story and all of its elements had to ferment in my head. The advantage of such a long process is that the minute I sat down to write the play, it only took about two weeks, because so many of the issues surrounding it had been sorted out in my head.

You and Pedro Kruger have worked together in other plays. What do you enjoy about his acting and musical style that has encouraged further collaboration between you?Pedro has a very rare quality on stage: not only is he a very talented actor, pianist, composer and singer, but the moment he steps onto the stage, people WANT to watch him. He has presence. Musically I am not very adept, but when I write a lyric I have a very good idea of how the song should sound. It is to Pedro’s credit that he understands my faux-musical terminology and that he can compose the songs to sound exactly as, or better than, I had in mind — in spite of my unmusical ear. So my ‘well, it needs a boom boom there and then a soaring violin kinda thing there and then like, rocky’ comments that normally stump other composers, make sense to him.

You stopped production of the show in 2004 and then revived it in 2006. Why did you reintroduce the show?The demand for the Afrikaans version, called Lyf, never really petered out. We stopped because our other productions needed our time and attention. Also, for Pedro as an actor, there was a desire to be part of a bigger production: a one-man show is a lonely and terrifying business for an actor. Then, in 2006, we did a few performances but at the end of 2007 Vodacom contracted us to translate the play into English and to perform it to their staff as part of a disability awareness drive. And translating the play brought some interesting challenges and changes. Which eventually led us to Edinburgh.

Do you feel like that the play is doubly successful in that it has also educated people about Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and those who live with it?First and foremost the play is a love story. Although the disability angle is very valuable to give audiences insight into the life of a disabled person, the play speaks to all audience members: we are all, in one way or another, disabled. What I mean by that is that most people that I know (including myself) have issues about their physicality, whether its their weight, hair, facial features, something about our looks invariably impact negatively on how we perceive ourselves. So the play’s central question – ‘what exactly is NORMAL?’ – affects all of us.

This is the first production in your Breakout! Project. What further plans do you have lined up for this project?The Breakout! Project aims to establish Afrikaans as a language of origin for world class theatre. Under the influence of the Arts Festivals, beautiful work has seen the light over the past 15 years and it is this work that I would like to take to the world. This, however, is largely dependent to our experiences here. Ideally we will build a few relationships while we’re in Edinburgh that will help us to carry this forward.

What has the response of Edinburgh audiences been to the play?The response has been phenomenal. At yesterday’s performance Pedro had to do four curtain calls and the audience gave him a standing ovation. The houses are, however, very small but we hope that word of mouth will travel and change this.

Why have you decided to take the show to Edinburgh now, ten years after its inception?The Edinburgh Fringe is the biggest arts festival in the world. We are hoping to meet with producers/scouts from other international festivals in order to take the play to other continents.

You’re not new to the festival scene. How has this festival been different to those you’ve attended in South Africa?In South Africa the biggest arts festival is the KKNK, held annually in Oudtshoorn. At the KKNK your production is part of 120 productions to be seen over 1 week. At Edinburgh there are more than 2000 productions (more than 35000 performances) spread over 1 month. Getting the press to pay attention to the individual shows is incredibly difficult.

Any plans to take Normality to other international venues?That’s our idea, we’ll have to wait and see — there are 17 performances left, so let’s see what happens!

Normality will be running at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from 5 — 31 August at the Ace Dome.